Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Veterans Administration were working with genetically altered mice that typically develop head-to-tail baldness as a result of overproducing a stress hormone.

The experiment wasn’t focused on hair loss. Instead, it was designed to study a chemical compound that blocks the effects of stress on the gut. The researchers treated the bald mice for five days with the compound and then returned them to the cages, where they scampered about with several furry mice from a control group.

Three months later, the scientists went back to the cage to conduct additional experiments. They were surprised by what they saw inside — all of the mice had full heads and backs of hair. The once-bald mice, eventually identified through ear tags, were indistinguishable from their normal, furry cage mates.

Dr. Million Mulugeta, co-director of the preclinical stress biology program at U.C.L.A., said he looked inside the cage and at first wondered why the bald mice weren’t there. “I asked my colleague, ‘How come these mice aren’t distinguishable from the others?’ ” he said. “We went back to our data log, and we realized all the mice had grown hair. It was a totally unexpected finding.”

Already the research is drawing a mixed response from dermatologists and hair-loss researchers. Dr. Melissa Piliang, a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic, cautioned that the findings of a mouse study may not be applicable to humans, but she said that the results may spur more study of the role stress might play in human hair loss.

“We’ve certainly seen patients whose hair worsened when they are under a lot of stress,” said Dr. Piliang. “But what we don’t know is whether some of this genetic hair loss is particularly affected by stress. I think it’s hopeful for future research and treatment.”

But Dr. George Cotsarelis, chairman of the dermatology department at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, said any treatment developed from the research would probably be useful only for hair loss related to stress, likes that caused by one-time events, rather than as a treatment for genetic baldness.

“It’s difficult to say that it’s going to lead to a new treatment,’’ he said.

Dr. Mulugeta said he is hopeful the findings will lead to new avenues of hair-loss research. The team decided to repeat the experiment several times. Each time, bald mice treated with tiny doses of the compound for five days grew new hair in just a few weeks. In another series of experiments, the compound was injected into young mice before their hair fell out. Those mice never went bald, suggesting the compound not only has the potential to grow hair but may also prevent age-related hair loss.

The effect also appeared to persist after only one series of treatments. The scientists continued to observe the mice for four months — a long time in the two-year life span of a mouse. The new hair remained on the once-bald mice, and the mice that were treated to prevent hair loss never went bald.

The duration of the effect is important, because current hair-loss prevention remedies — including minoxidil (sold under the brand name Rogaine) and finasteride (sold as Propecia) — require regular use to maintain what is typically described as only a modest benefit.

Still, Dr. Cotsarelis cautioned that the hair growth cycles are very different in mice and humans, so one could draw only limited conclusions from the research.

Dr. Mulugeta agreed that any treatment for humans is, at best, years away. “We are at the early stage of the work,’’ he said. “We have a very strong observation, but we don’t know whether this effect could be seen in humans. How does it act? All of these things have to be worked out, but we intend to follow through.’’

The mice used in the experiments had been genetically altered to overproduce a stress hormone called corticotrophin-releasing factor, or CRF. To block the action of CRF, the researchers injected the mice with a peptide called astressin-B. The experiment was designed to measure how much the peptide would inhibit the effects of stress on the colon.

The mechanism by which the peptide triggered hair growth isn’t known, Dr. Mulugeta said. The agent appears to be acting on stress hormone receptors in the skin and near, or within, the hair follicle. “The hair follicle in these mice is inactive,’’ he said. “Something has turned on that cycle to put it back into an active phase, a hair-growing phase.’’

Dr. Mulugeta also noted that in addition to preventing hair loss, the agent affected the mice’s skin pigment, suggesting the compound may have the potential to affect hair color, including gray hair.

“The evidence to show that hair loss is not a permanent loss is shown very strongly in this study, and that by itself is very important,’’ he said. “The antagonist really triggers a mechanism that covers a lot of biological phenomena, including hair growth and hair color. We certainly intend to continue the research.’’

The competing (conflicts) interest section of the PLOS paper seems not to disclose this patent applicaton.

Which also invites the question, “Will Dr. Mulugeta’s first name soon be reflected in the balance of his bank account?”

Here’s hoping that it will (as I scratch my bald pate).
FROM TPP — The Plos release did disclose that there were patents pending but they do not go to the inventors, but the institutions where they work. “UCLA and the Salk Institute have applied for a patent on the use of the astressin-B peptide for hair growth. “

Seems like a good start for finding a proper salvation to bald people.
Sometimes the solution is randomly found. God works in mysterious ways :-)
Although alopecia is not a disease, it is disturbing many people who start getting bald in young age.//www.lifestyle-after50.com/alopecia.html

When I was 27 I had a full head of very thick hair. I then started a new job as a manager in retail that was so incredibly stressful that in a 2 week period a large bald spot formed on my crown. It never regrew either. Amazing what intense stress can do to the body.

The interesting thing to me, as an irritable bowel syndrome patient with moderate hair loss, is that the study touched on the gut + stress axis. About 6 months ago, a new prescription got my IBS symptoms under control. At the same time, my hair loss has slowed dramatically, with even some mild regrowth in the worst areas of loss. Both my dermatologist and my gastroenterologist say it’s almost certainly a coincidence, but the timing is uncanny.

You’d think the dopey drug companies would have cracked this nut by now. What are they doing? Scratching their bald heads? Whoever gets there first is almost guaranteed a trillion dollars, they could name their own price and men – and women! – would gladly pay it. But instead all they seem focused on is reproductive medicine and heart pills and the kind of complex biology which as often as not sees them getting sued for some unforeseen side-effects. Some guy in his basement will probably end up discovering the secret long before these clueless clinicals.

Would love to see this become a full fledged cure. Here in india men are becoming bald earlier than before. Balding start as early as 14, constant cell phone usage, pressures of studies and higher expectations from life are the major problems they face.//www.tumblertea.blogspot.com

I am under Lupron hormone treatment for prostate cancer. I have been bald for many years but now there is hair growing on top of my head. I attributed it to the hot flashes causing my head to get wet with sweat and flushing out the hair follicles.

I think it’s really interesting that the people asking about the effects of the compound on the gut are all IBS patients. I am also an IBS sufferer, and that was my first thought, too: “Nice. It cures baldness in mice…But what about the gut + stress result??”

I hope they continue to pursue any results that came out of that aspect of the study, as well. Clearly there is a population of us who would be more than happy to support that research.

Nowhere do I see mentioned anything about the lack of selectivity of this treatment. Hair on the head sounds great, but a systemic treatment may stimulate all hair follicles. Then again, it could be a boon for laser hair removal–

“It was discovered today that scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Veterans Administration who claimed that they were working with genetically altered mice, are now under investigation. A lab tech claims that the scientists replaced the mice in question with Chia Pets shaped like mice. The whistle-blower, said he suspected that something was amiss when he noticed one scientist applying Grecian Formula For Men to the backs and heads of the “mice”, and when he saw another scientist opening up one of the mice and changing its batteries.”

A spokesman for the Brotherhood of Bald People, the organization that has been the primary funder of the project said. “This could be a bald-faced lie. Until we have all of the bare facts, we have nothing to say other than clear heads should prevail during the investigation.”

@AC
I’m also an IBS sufferer (severe for 20 years) whose hair thinned markedly at onset of the condition; my once-lush mane has continued to disappear. Would you mind saying what meds your doctor prescribed? Be interested to see if it’s one I’ve tried.

As a hair loss sufferer I cringe every time I see on of these studies. This barely relates to humans and the information from a study like this is useless towards a potential cure.
If you really want to do a serious article about a possible and probable cure for both male and female hair loss.
I suggest you research a company called Histogen. They are entering into phase 1/2 trials of a very promising product that has already shown a large degree of efficacy for long term permanent hair re-growth.
For God sakes you are suppose to be the paper of record, not obscure trivia.

Anecdotes are certainly not data, but this reminds me of my very bald father, who told me that his hair fell out overnight after being subjected to a mock execution by th KGB. I guess he had the same genetic trait as the mice.

The other day I tugged out a hair with a peculiar feature. It was white at the tip, 3/4 of the way to the base, where color reappeared. I recently had an autoimmune bout, featuring bad gut feelings. I began a rigorous elimination diet which cut out oats, wheat, barley, millet, and am now gluten free. I have atopic dermatitis. Like others, I also had thinning of the hair and more white hairs appearing. Now I feel much better, and the thinning seems to have abated. This cortico-steroid mediated, inflammatory response + gut axis is the right track here and this research proves it. Good work.